Some recipes get pretty specific about the kind of wine they want you to use: an oaky chardonnay in this reduction sauce, a hearty Italian red for that braise. But does it really matter?
Cooking By Feel: Does It Matter if You Use Red or White Wine for Cooking?
We say, go for it. Switch it up! Experiment with flavors! Try something new! All wines will chemically behave in the same way, so there's no danger that a recipe won't work if you use a white instead of a red or vice versa.
If you're thinking of using a different kind of wine (one with a different color or grape), taste it first and think about how that wine will taste with the other flavors in the dish. Some recipes will call for a particular kind of wine because the cook had a specific taste in mind for the final dish. There's no rule that says you have to end up with the exact same dish, but it can be useful to have an idea of what was intended before veering off into your own territory.
A few things to remember:
• Flavors will become more concentrated and pronounced as the wine cooks and reduces. Keep this in mind when you pick a wine for cooking.
• Keep the amount of wine the same as in the original recipe. This ensures that cooking times and other food chemistry kinds of things stay the same.
• Red wine will turn a light-colored dish purple. True fact!
What other tips do you have for wine substitutions in recipes?
Related: Ingredient Spotlight: Cooking with Beer
(Image: Flickr member morethanreal licensed under Creative Commons)
Tags
Tips & Techniques, Inspiration, Wine, Seasonings, Liquor, cooking without recipes, cooking by feel, cooking wineShare
Comments (7)
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A wine substitution was the genesis of a whole new recipe for me -- when making coq au vin, I discovered I only had white wine and it was delish! Many iterations later and I've got my 'speciality' stew!
view Michelle of Montreal's profile
I owuld think that sticking with a dry wine vs a sweet wine would be fairly important. I'm not sure a really sweet wine like sauterne or icewine would complement many savory dishes if they are reduced significantly.
That said - i'd never really thought of switching in a red for a white or vice versa - Michelle's coq au vin blanc sounds fun!
view fib's profile
I've been yearning to make coq au vin... maybe I'll do a trial with white and one with red!
Emily
view Emily Sneds's profile
Nigella Lawson makes a terrific coq au riesling... http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/coq-au-riesling
I highly recommend it to you.
view Doctor Whom's profile
coq au riesling is a classical alsatian dish, like the better-known coq au vin from burgundy (and there are tons of regional versions of rooster/chicken cooked in wine). that said, it's very versatile ingredients - chicken (and mushrooms). i'd be less inclined to substitute red for white or vice versa with proteins on the far ends of the spectrum. i agree, definitely important to think about the other ingredients and how they'll pair with the wine. and i'd think particularly with regard to acidity.
view bebklyn's profile
Also, dry (white) vermouth works really well as a substitute for white wine in many dishes and has the great advantage of keeping well after opening. Since I don't particularly care for vermouth-based cocktails, there's usually some around.
view mikeinkansascity's profile
A word on vermouth though: While it does last longer than wine, it's not by much. Wines tend to oxidize to the point of being pretty flat and gross anywhere from a few days old to a week, where vermouth is pretty passable for maybe a week and a half to two weeks tops (for using in cocktails) but up to a month of so for cooking. Like if you keep port or sherry open too long, it's not so much an issue of it spoiling so much as losing flavor or developing off-flavors.
view arttarte's profile